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Art

Blanchelande’s Art department offers truly inspiring opportunities and training for aspiring artists. Many of our art students have won local and international prizes for their work.

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Art

Blanchelande’s Art department offers truly inspiring opportunities and training for aspiring artists. Many of our art students have won local and international prizes for their work.

In Art and Design, drawing and visual awareness is the key to success. Pupils draw from observation or imagination using a range of media and working from a variety of sources. The value of drawing as a means of expression is explored. Skills in printmaking, design work, mixed media including textiles and 3D compositions are developed.

Art students gain a strong sense of historical context through the study of the methods of great artists. This involves sustained research, investigation, experimentation, analysis and planning in sketchbooks leading on to a final piece of work.

Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.
The National Curriculum

Year 7

Year 7 students receive an introduction to line, colour, tone and form. Whilst exploring these topics they are introduced to the work of relevant artists and practitioners and the codes and conventions used in different artistic genres and traditions. Focus on:

  • Tom Phillips
  • Peter Clark
  • Wayne Thiebaud

 

Year 8

Year 8 students are encouraged to become more experimental and develop individual projects which still embed the formal elements of art. They advanced their skills in handling materials by developing mixed media pieces and exploring 3D forms. Focus on:

  • Michael Craig-Martin
  • Vince Low
  • Giacomo Balla

 

Year 9

Year 9 students are given greater independence to develop their personal ideas on the theme of Surrealism. They continue to enhance their design skills by creating illustrative work to a professional brief. They build an appreciation and become more discerning of their personal creative choices. They consider the visual impact of contemporary artists alongside the formal elements of traditional art practice. Focus on:

  • Salvador Dali
  • Clive Hicks-Jenkins
  • Leonardo da Vinci

 

Additional educational experiences

Students benefit from many opportunities beyond the classroom: including visits to exhibitions, galleries and displays; art and photography workshops; and participation in local and national competitions. Recent events and extra-curricular activities include:

  • Annual public exhibitions of GCSE and A-Level artwork
  • Annual public art exhibition of the Guernsey Eisteddfod
  • The Sovereign Art Students Prize
  • Year 10 students visit London art galleries
  • Art for Guernsey artists-in-residence workshops.
  • Talks and visits from former Blanchelande students studying art at university
  • Weekly extra curricular Art clubs

 

GCSE

In this course, students develop, explore and evaluate personal creative ideas and study the concepts and techniques of inspirational artists. An initial ‘foundation’ stage sees students experiencing a wide variety of techniques, including drawing, painting, textiles and sculpture. Towards the end of Year 10, in discussing with art staff, they write their own project proposal which leads them into Year 11. The course is deeply rewarding and extends creativity whilst also building skills in time management and self motivation. At the end of the course, students mount their work for public exhibition.

Unit 1: A Personal Portfolio (60% of final grade) This unit comprises a major practical portfolio and outcomes to be based on internally set themes and subject matter developed from personal and given starting points. Work is selected, evaluated, and presented for assessment by the student. It is internally set and standardised and externally moderated.

Unit 2: Externally Set Assignment (40% of final grade) Students receive a question paper from the examination board (AQA) at the start of the preparatory period in January of Year 11. The questions are broad based and follow the Art, Craft, Design component starting points already familiar to the students from Unit 1. One question is chosen and is used as a starting point from which to elicit a personal, creative response. Work takes the form of practical, critical, and contextual preparatory pieces which inform the resolution of ideas in the 10 hour examination conducted over two days. It is an externally set, internally standardised and externally moderated unit.

 

A-Level Art

In this course, students build on skills learnt throughout the senior school and continue to develop, explore and evaluate creative ideas and study the concepts and techniques of inspirational artists. Students are encouraged to experiment with fresh and stimulating new processes. Inspired by notable artists, students fine their drawing, painting, textiles and sculpture techniques. Students learn to be self-directed while

working within a workshop-style environment under the supervision of a teacher as they build a strong portfolio that expresses their unique creative voice. At the end of the course, artwork is publically exhibited.

Unit 1: A Personal Portfolio (60% of final grade) This unit is an extensive study into an aspect of art, craft and design that the student finds inspiring and which builds into a major practical portfolio. There is a greater depth of study and analytical thinking required into the work of artists and the students will complete an extended piece of writing of up to 3,000 words which relates to their theme, working practices and influences. Work will be selected, evaluated, and presented for assessment by the pupil. It is internally set and standardised and externally moderated.

Unit 2: Externally Set Assignment (40% of final grade) Students receive a question paper from the examination board (AQA) at the start of the preparatory period in February of Year 13. The questions are broad based and follow the Art, Craft, Design component starting points allowing the student to confidently work to their strengths when selecting a starting point. Preparatory work will take the form of practical, critical, and contextual studies which will then inform the resolution of ideas in the 15 hour examinaion completed over three days. It is an externally set, internally standardised and externally moderated unit.

 

Outstanding achievements

  • Jacques Loveridge: 2023 Winner of the Sovereign Art Foundation Global Judges’ Prize and 2022 Winner of the Guernsey Sovereign Art Foundation Public Vote
  • Guernsey Puffin Parade: Year 10 collaborative sculpture project
  • Catherine Lees: 2020 Winner of the Guernsey Sovereign Art Foundation Public Vote
  • Lucy Mauger: 2019 Art for Guernsey Scholarship to the Royal Drawing School
  • Molly Le Pavoux: 2018 Art for Guernsey Scholarship to the Royal Drawing school.